Why must we "Protect Our Heritage for Future Generations?" What does it mean to "Earn it Again?"

View of the Masonic Temple and City Hall in Philadelphia

Jeffrey Coy

All of the basic freedoms that we all cherish as
americans were purchased for us by our forefathers.
The challenges and questions for our generation will
be: are we willing to sacrifice so that these freedoms
are in place and saved for future generations?
Someone once reminded all of us that, "To whom much is given, much will also be required."

In essence, that is our challenge. We have been
given much as a people, and our requirement, or even
expectation is... Will we keep it? Will we preserve it?
Indeed, will we enhance what we have been given for
the generations to come?

Freemasons must take the lead in this effort.
Perhaps because we cherish our past, but more
importantly because we understand that we must
re-purchase our liberties in our generation. We, as
Freemasons, must be leaders in this effort, and not
followers. We must enlighten our fellow citizens in
the necessity of sacrificing, if necessary, to maintain
our liberties.

Hopefully, when the history of our generation is
written the historians will say of us, "Our republic was preserved because they held our heritage high and kept our ship of state calm as it sailed on often stormy seas."

Bob Bateman

We need to remember the excitement and the
thrill we had when we experienced Freemasonry for
the first time. as Freemasons, we must live and lead
by example and live up to the fundamental principles
of what Freemasonry is and means to us. We need to
get back to our roots and get reacquainted with our
ritual, our brethren and our way of life. We need
to practice Freemasonry in our everyday living for
everyone to see and be a part of... then we will truly
"Earn It Again."

We cannot expect our brethren who traveled the
Masonic road before us to be the only driving force
keeping Freemasonry alive. We all need to do our
part to preserve our rich heritage. Our degrees are
the most beautiful explanations of who we are and
what we stand for. The greatest gift we have to give
is our history and the desire to share it with another
brother. Be a mentor, an instructor, a floor officer
or just attend your lodge meetings. Protecting Our
heritage for Future Generations and keeping our
history alive is enjoined upon us all.

Thomas Sturgeon

Throughout my life and my professional career, it
became imminently clear that I would achieve only
what I earned through hard work. If our fraternity
is going to flourish, it will do so only through hard
work. It is up to every Pennsylvania Mason to "Earn it Again."

It is also every Mason's responsibility to "Protect Our heritage for Future Generations." Our
predecessors in Freemasonry did what was necessary
to protect our heritage, and now the responsibility
is ours. Join with your Grand Lodge officers in
"Protecting Our Heritage for Future Generations" to come.

Jay Smith

We cannot sit back and let someone else do
our job, or sit on the laurels of our forefathers.
We must earn the respect of our brothers and our
communities in which Freemasonry is located. Over
the years, we as Freemasons have become relaxed in
our community activities, in attending our lodges
and in our degree work... and now, we must step
forward and work hard to earn the confidences and
respect Freemasonry deserves.

In Pennsylvania, Freemasonry is deeply rooted in
an oral tradition. We are unique in that our ritual
is never written down. By passing the ritual from
mouth to ear and from one generation to the next,
we will be able to preserve this tradition. There
are other Masonic ceremonies, lodge histories,
secretary's records and memorabilia that are also
important to Freemasonry. The task of preserving
the above for future generations lies with each one
of us. We must preserve what we have in order that
Freemasonry may continue for future generations.

Mark Haines

We, as Masons, have the distinct privilege and
honor to belong to the oldest and most prestigious
fraternity of the world.

Our fraternity has flourished as a result of our
forefathers preserving, protecting and passing on
to us our laws (landmarks); education and ritual.
These are the critical components that separate us
from all other organizations and it is imperative
that we are able to preserve all three of them. While
each of the three is as important as the other, the
ritual is the one component that is only passed from
one generation to the next via mouth to ear. This
becomes critical to the success of each lodge's future.
It is imperative that we continue to learn and teach
the ritual in order to preserve it in its purest form, so
we are able to pass it on to future members.

Each of us should take the time to remember
our oath and obligation and each year rededicate
ourselves to the values and high standards that our
fraternity represents as we strive to be better men,
husbands and fathers... not only within the lodge,
but in our everyday activities.

We are the future of the fraternity, and it is
imperative that we are able to Protect Our Heritage
for Future Generations.